Strainer



M. J. ZIMM ER Feb. 1, 1949.

STRAINER Filed D90. 5, 1945 INVEN TOR. ,Myron J.

2i; mar.

Patented Feb. 1, 1949 s ATENT? oer-ice STRAINER;

Mgr-end. Zimmer, Wood Dalmlitgasfiennr tel Elma Products Company Ghicago, EL, a cei=pp.-

igation of Illinois,

Application December 5, 1945", Serial- Ne-. 632,965'

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction and assembly of a strainer wherein the peripheral edge of a bowl shaped filtering element of wire screening or fabric is attached to a rigid reinforcing frame or rim member.

One of the essential objects of the present invention is to provide a strainer of this type capable of being removably secured to a reinforcing rim member whereby the strainer may be dismantled to facilitate cleaning as well as to accommodate the substitution of filter elements of different character.

Another object is to provide a strainer of this type that is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, this invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a strainer embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawing Iii represents a strainer body member I of wire screen material in theshape of a bowl or cup and II indicates a continuous flange projecting laterally outwardly from the upper periphery of the body I0.

As shown in Fig. 3 the reinforced rim portion comprises separately formed members i2 and I4, each preferably made of a hardenable plastic material such as polystyrene, tenite or the like. Rim

member I2 is provided with a continuous seat 5 with which the upper surface of the strainer flange H is engaged. Formed integrally with and extending downwardly from the inner limits of said seat I5 is a continuous inner wall I 6 which presents an outwardly facing surface I! with which the inner surface of the upper side wall portion of the strainer body I is engaged. A continuous outer wall I8 formed integrally with and extending downwardly from the seat I presents an inner face so spaced from the face I! of the wall I6 as to surround the outer peripheral limits of the flange II with sufficient clearance to avoid the necessity of distorting the flange II when the same is moved inwardly of the walls I6 and I8 pending engagement with the seat I5.

The form and size of the second rim member I4 is such that it will fit between the walls I6 and ang es).-

I8 of the first rim member to impinge against the flange l'ti. andiupper marginal portion of the strainer body Ill, thereby securely clamping or holding said flange H and upper marginal portion of the strainer body ill in engagement with the seat I5 and face ll of the wall I6. The inwardly facing wall 18 of rim member I2 is offset inwardly as at I9 to provide a relatively narrow upwardly facing shoulder 20 in downwardly spaced relation to the seat I5 with which a downwardly facing shoulder projecting outwardly from the rim member is is engaged to prevent casual displacement or removal of the rim member M from its operative position between the walls It and I8 of the other rim member. The shoulder 20 is adaptedto yield radially under pressure'to accommodate movement of the shoulder on the rim member I4 past the inwardly offset portion I9 of the rim member I2 pen-ding relative movement of the rim members into a position of interengagement at said shoulders, due to the inherent resilient qualities of the rim members it and i4. Accordingly, while the rim member-s cooperate to set up a gripping engagement with the portions of the strainer located therebetween in a manner to prevent casual displacement or removal thereof, the members are yieldable under pressure applied at the inner bottom portion of the strainer bowl II! to separate sufficiently to permit intentional removal of the strainer and the rim member l4 when it is desired to replace the strainer with a new or different strainer.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bottom surface 2! of the rim member i4 and the bottom edge 22 of the wall it of the rim member I2 preferably occupy coplanar positions when the rim members 52 and M are in operative engagement, whereby the undersurface of the rim as well as other eX- posed surfaces thereof are free of pockets or depressions susceptible to trapping dirt and other objectionable matter when in use.

As shown in the drawings, a laterally extending handle may be for-med integrally with the rim member I2. Although a certain form of the present invention has been shown and described by. way of illustration it will be understood that it may be constructed in still other embodiments coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a strainer, a wire mesh bowl having an integral flange surrounding and extending laterally outwardly from its upper edge, a continuous member having a seat with which the upper surface of said flange is engaged, a continuous inner wall integral with and extending downwardly from the inner limits of said seat with which the inner surface of the upper side wall portion of the bowl is engaged, a continuous outer wall integral with and extending downwardly from said seat in spaced encircling relation to said inner wall and having an inwardly offset lower portion on its inner surface providing an upwardly facing seat between the upper and lower limits thereof, a second rim member insertable under tension into a final position between said inner and outer walls of the first rim member so as to bear upon the surfaces of said flange and said upper side wall portion of the bowl opposite to the surfaces thereof in engagement with the seat and inner wall of said first rim member, said second rim member having a downwardly V facing shoulder with which said 7 shoulder on the outer wall of the first rim member cooperates to detachably lock said rim members against unintentional separation.

2. A strainer as described in claim 1 wherein lower edge of the outer wall of the first rim member are substantially coplanar.

3. A strainer as described in claim 1 wherein said rim members,v are formed of hardenable plastic material.

4. A strainer as described in claim 1 wherein a. laterally extending handle is formed integrally with said first named rim member.

MYRON J. ZIMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,241,229 Williams Ma 6, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date France Sept. 22, 1936 the lower face of the second rim member and the 7 

